Talk Nerdy to Me
by HeatherLayne
Summary: A short one-shot. Hermione is working in the Potions classroom with Severus and more than the cauldron gets steamy...


**Author's Note:** This is a short little one-shot I wrote really quickly one evening. I play both Severus and Hermione in an online RPG, so this went up there as well. It's pretty much just fluff, but still fun. Enjoy! Review!

"Slowly now, very carefully," Severus whispered.

"I know, I know," Hermione replied tensely. She blew a stray hair out of her face and concentrated.

"It's got to go in slowly, and – "

"Carefully, I know. Just let me do it."

"All right, all right." He held his hands up and tried to relax. Hopefully no one would get hurt. Not that he didn't trust her, it was just… a bit nerve-wracking.

"Goodness, it's hot."

"I know. Would you like gloves?"

"No, it's almost in. Almost… there." The bezoar stone finally touched the bottom of the cauldron and Hermione stepped back, wiping sweat from her forehead. She placed the tongs on the table and turned to face Severus. "See? I told you I could do it."

"I never doubted you."

"Yes you did," she mock-pouted.

"Well, I had no reason to, I'm sorry. I just don't want you go get hurt. If it had been dropped or jostled, the chemicals in the potion would have reacted explosively."

"I know."

"You seem to _know_ an awful lot tonight."

"It's my job." She stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I also know," she began as her lips trailed softly along his neck, "that in fifteen minutes I have to take the bezoar stone out." She undid the top button of his robes. "Then I add the kneazle whiskers tied around the wormwood twigs," she continued as her hands quickly unfastened the next dozen buttons, "and stir counterclockwise until the potion turns a pale red-orange colour." All the buttons on his robe were undone now, and she slipped her fingers just inside the collar of his shirt. He was really squirming now, and she didn't think it was because of the heat of the cauldron fire.

"Anyone could walk in and see us," he muttered weakly, glancing at the door to the Potions classroom.

"That adds to the fun, don't you think?"

He noticed that half the buttons on his shirt were undone now. "Hermione, come on now, we're supposed to be working."

"Not right this second. We still have," she glanced at the clock above his desk, which she was slowly backing him toward, "twelve minutes." She caught his eyes and raised her eyebrows.

"Ah, good point," he whispered as his hands traveled up her back into her hair. The backs of his knees hit the edge of his desk and he fell backward onto it, steadying himself into a sitting position. Hermione stood, slightly taller than him, and worked her lips all over his throat.

Not wanting to let her have all the fun, he pulled her closer and returned the favour. "Seven minutes," she murmured into his hair when she caught sight of the clock.

"Okay," he nearly moaned, pressing his mouth to her collarbone. A couple of her buttons had come undone as well. When he reached for the fourth one, however, her hands stopped him. He protested weakly, but was distracted by the way she was twirling a strand of his hair around her finger, slowly twining it around and drawing his head closer to hers.

"Five minutes," she said.

"Mm."

"Two… oh… two minutes."

"Mf."

"All right," she said, stepping abruptly away from him and straightening her blouse. "Time's up." It took him the entire time she slowly drew the bezoar stone out of the cauldron to recover. When he came out of his daze, he stood and re-buttoned and re-tucked his shirt, then came up behind Hermione.

"Was that all?" he whispered in her ear as she tied the kneazle whiskers.

"For tonight," she grinned playfully. "Go get the mandrake leaves, will you darling?"

Ah, aloof, was she? Well, he could play that game as well. "Of course, _dear_." He fetched the jar from a cupboard at the back and brought it to her, barely brushing the small of her back with his fingertips as he passed her.

"I missed you Sunday," she said in a slightly different tone as she dropped the bundles of wormwood twigs into the cauldron.

"I know, darling, I missed you too." He couldn't resist; he had to wrap his arms around her from behind and kiss the top of her head. "But Penelope really was quite ill and there was no one else to care for her."

"I know. I just wish I could have come with you. Next time?"

"Next time my house elf falls ill? Oh, thank you," he teased.

She let the "_my_ house elf" part slip, and kissed him gently. "Hush, you."

"Yes, my lady," he smiled.

"Love you."

"I love you too, Hermione."


End file.
